


Farewell is Not Forever

by StongeOfTheGalaxium



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-17
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-07 21:16:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3183464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StongeOfTheGalaxium/pseuds/StongeOfTheGalaxium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bard never really got over the loss of his wife, but perhaps falling for an immortal is not so bad since he'll never suffer that level of loss again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Farewell is Not Forever

Nothing is eternal. Even diamonds fade to dust eventually. But as far as Bard the Bowman (or Dragonslayer, as was his more recent title) was concerned, his meager human life would dim long before that of the King of the Mirkwood Elves. He took comfort in this fact. A selfish comfort really, since it meant that one day Thranduil would have to bury him. But that was down to the Elven King and his choice to take a mortal partner. Bard on the other hand could not bear another loss like the one his wife left behind. If not for their children he may well have spiralled into madness and followed soon after her.

But he held on, raised his children, even learned how to be happy again. But he never managed to open his heart again in the years that followed. It was too much to risk. At least until circumstances changed. When he slayed Smaug, the last dragon of Middle Earth and took his ancestor’s mantle as the King of Dale, not because he wanted to but because it was the right thing to do. During their dealings with the dwarves prior to the battle and in the politics and clean ups since, the King of the Elves seemed to take interest in him, though Bard could not fathom why. He had nothing special to offer one so noble as Thranduil, but he was eternally grateful for the elves’ aid in rebuilding Dale.

Even once a sense of peace had settled between the kingdoms of Dale, and Erebor and Mirkwood, however, when meetings of diplomacy were seldom required, the Elf King still insisted on calling upon Bard. Even still bringing gifts. Thranduil, too had known the loss of someone dear, and these were the conversations that often kept them up long into the night. If Thranduil, who knew loss just as well as Bard did was willing to go through that again, since Bard’s death was inevitable, what did Bard really have to lose? Maybe it was worth taking the chance. Thranduil was immortal after all, Bard would be gone long before Thranduil.

So it was that Bard gradually let Thranduil into his heart and Mirkwood and Dale thrived together. It wasn’t always the easiest of relationships, they sometimes bickered over the silliest of things, but all in all they were happy and as good as married, though they often had to spend time apart to maintain their respective kingdoms. The time apart just made their time together that much sweeter. Thranduil often doted upon Bard, who generally objecting, being a man of simple pleasures having never had any need to be extravagant, though he appreciated the gestures all the same. They were content, and that was all that mattered.

Until the darkness came looming a little too close to the fringes of Thranduil’s kingdom one day. A small army of orcs, nothing the elves couldn’t handle. Bard had wanted to go along but Thranduil insisted it would be fine, that it wasn’t even worth worrying about. That didn’t make Bard any less anxious waiting for his lover to return. The fear that had been at bay all this time was creeping in. Immortal Thranduil may be, but he could still be killed.

Bard grew restless, concern and doubt weighing heavily on his shoulders. It would be fine. Everything would be okay. Thranduil was as good a warrior as you could get. But Bard would not be at ease until his lover was safely returned to him. He could not go through that again, once was already too much.

As soon as he caught wind of the elves returning from battle, Bard made the journey to Mirkwood, not willing to wait for Thranduil to come to him. He needed to see him, needed to know that he was okay. Needed to be reassured that the doubt in his heart was ridiculously unfounded.

But there was a darkness in the wood that day that had naught to do with any evil. A sense of sorrow from the elves that made the dread in Bard’s stomach knot even tighter.

Few would so much as look at him as he made his way into Thranduil’s palace.

There must be some other reason.

Finally someone, he wasn’t really aware enough to register who, took his arm and said the words that made his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach. 

No.

He was lead to Thranduil. Lying on a bed. Beautiful as ever, even with the life seeping out of him and the glamour that covered his dragon fire scared faded away.

He’d taken a fatal blow in the skirmish, a blow beyond even the elves’ healing capabilities.

Bard sank to his knees beside the bed, he could not hold himself up. He could hardly see now, through the tears welling in his eyes, but he didn’t need to see to be able to bury his hand in Thranduil’s hair and collapse against him, sobbing. He didn’t care that the elves were losing their king, it was the horror of losing another who became so dear to him. Someone he’d managed to convince himself he’d never have to lose.

"Look..at me…" Thranduil’s voice was weak, but somehow still firm enough that Bard managed to lift his head enough to look at Thranduil through tear filled eyes. 

"Do not weep, meleth nîn. Do not fall prey to the darkness…" Thranduil lifted a hand to touch Bard’s cheek. "It is not goodbye forever. Live a good life…dragonslayer…"

Bard couldn’t speak as Thranduil’s hand dropped and had to bury his face in the Elf King’s chest once more, because he couldn’t bear to watch the light leave his eyes.

He only hoped he had the strength to live up to Thranduil’s dying wish.


End file.
